Isabel Palma, Partner / Interior Designer

Isabel Palma

Partner / Interior Designer

MAGOS DESIGN, FZ-LLC

Location
United Arab Emirates - Dubai
Education
Diploma, Interior Design - AAID
Experience
32 years, 11 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :32 years, 11 Months

Partner / Interior Designer at MAGOS DESIGN, FZ-LLC
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • My current job since January 2015

Design Consultancy

Senior Designer/Architect at The Heart of Europe
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • June 2015 to September 2017

Worked on 3 major projects:
- The Floating Seahorse (a floating villa) - Schematic & Detail design / material
procurement / set-up model home for investor visits.
- Sweden Island Villas (High-end Bentley Home) - Schematic stage & material procurement
- Portofino Hotel - A 5 star Hotel on the World Islands with all amenities and intelligent
automation for child safety, security, and domotics. Concept & Schematic Design stages.

Also concluded 3 freelance projects already started prior to this employment:
- Ladies’ Clinic + Spa in KSA

- Restaurant in Dubai

- Villa in Palm Jumeirah - Dubai

Design Manager 
 at THE FIRST GROUP
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • March 2012 to November 2014

Reporting to CCO Designing for the Hospitality sector on corporate branding
Responsible for all phases of design scope - Concept, Schematic, Detail
• Liaising with 4 star Hotel Operator, Suppliers, Contractors and Consultants for Design &
Build of three 4 star hotels of the American chain ‘Wyndham Hotel Group’.
• Getting to know the brand and understanding its purpose.
• Briefing the teams on the brand.
• Visual presentations to the Operator and upper management on all areas of hotels -
Lobbies, Retail, BoH, Room Typology, F&B, Conference & Breakout areas, Gyms & Pools,
etc.
• Supervision of the Design Team.
• Supervision of factory work
• Corporate office design & implementation
• Serviced apartments high-rise buildings - Design phases
• Documentation preparation for BoQs and Specifications for all projects.
Major projects
- The Wyndham Dubai Marina Hotel - Dubai - 4 star
- Dubai TRYP Hotel - Dubai - 4 star
- Marina One - Dubai - 4 star
- The Matrix - Serviced Apartments
- TFG Showrooms and offices in Angola and Nigeria
- TFG Kiosks and exhibition stands

Design Manager at MUSHEIREB (Real Estate
  • Qatar - Doha
  • January 2010 to February 2011

Reporting to Development Director
Managing ID for Projects Development / Mix Use Projects on 35 hectares of downtown Doha
working side by side with Turner International.
Duties included:
• Writing Guidelines & implementing Procedures
• Performing Arch. Design reviews
• Coordination of ID staff
• Recruitment of ID staff
• Preparing for RFPs / Tender Evaluation Processes & Selection
• Project Management 


This project encompasses 229 buildings across 5 phases - being demolished and rebuilt. Across
this LEED Gold achievement project, renovation of the Heart of Doha encompasses residential
buildings of all types; 4 and 5 star hotels (selection process for Design Consultant for
Mandarin Oriental boutique Hotel); a Cultural Forum; a Heritage Village; Office buildings;
Mosques; 2 schools; Shopping Malls; etc. The feel is contemporary yet bringing Doha back to
its

Senior Interior Designer at HYDER CONSULTING / HOLFORD ASSOCIATES (Architectural Consultancy)
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • September 2005 to November 2009

Managed Projects through all design phases. 

- Client interface 

- Managed teams of 20
- Designed and Specified for:
5 City Center Malls in Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait / Eastern Mangroves Apartments in Abu Dhabi / JBR Apartment Buildings in Dubai

Projects Manager 
 at ICEP - Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Portugal
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • May 2004 to September 2005

Reporting to the Portuguese Trade Commissioner
Implementation of corporate methods and procedures
Financial Analysis and Control of Projects and Events
Design of Pavilions for Trade Exhibitions
Business Matching
Market Intelligence for response to Business Inquiries in different sectors and business areas.

Organizational Development
 at TELECEL / VODAFONEWorld's largest mobile telecoms service operator Lisbo
  • Portugal
  • October 1991 to November 2003

Reporting to the CTO (Mother company Ex-pat from former Group Air Touch International of
Orange County, CA / and Verizon)
Responsibilities included:
1. Training coordination for 500 headcount technical staff (programs included both Technical
and Soft Skills Management Training)
2. Organizational Development of Technical Departments (totaling headcount of 500 engineers
and technicians) - interfacing with 5 Directors and 3 Regional Coordinators in other parts of
the country
Reports to CTO on a weekly basis 

Presentations to Board Members and Directors whenever necessary
Preparation of the Yearly Training Budget for the Technical Dept.
Continuous Budget and Headcount Analysis and Control (app.2, 500, 000 Euro per year)
TNAs implementation - Identifying career gaps and training advice

Training Programs' Design and Assignment 

Job Function Descriptions (implemented 73 in a 6 week period)
Interfacing with top s/w and h/w suppliers worldwide, namely: (ERICSSON Sys- NORTEL
Networks, Siemens, Cisco Systems, and Avaya, for program contract management.
Win-Win solutions were expected from myself as to attain performance results from the staff,
based on a budget).
Performed corporate presentations

Assistant Manager 
 at Pier 1 Imports
  • United States - Massachusetts - Boston
  • January 1989 to December 1990

Reporting to Unit Manager Brockton store space app. 900m2. Responsibilities included:
· Opening and Closing of store - All adjacent tasks
· Supervision and Orientation of staff of 12 sales clerks and 4 stockroom staff
· Advertisement and Promotional Preparation of Showroom 

· Store Layouts - alterations whenever necessary 

· Visual Merchandising 

· Inventory Control & Purchasing
On Management / Coaching Experience

Education

Diploma, Interior Design - AAID
  • at Newbury College

  • December 1991

3.8 point average course end

Specialties & Skills

Interior Architecture
Design Management
REPORTS
CONSULTING
CUSTOMER RELATIONS
MANAGEMENT

Languages

English
Expert
Portuguese
Expert

Training and Certifications

LEED AP (Training)
Training Institute:
United States Green Building Council
Date Attended:
January 2011
Duration:
160 hours
Finance for Non-Financial Managers (Training)
Training Institute:
Frost & Sullivan
Duration:
80 hours
Executive Project Management (Training)
Training Institute:
PMI
Duration:
80 hours
Working with Emotional Intelligence (Training)
Training Institute:
Frost & Sullivan
Duration:
40 hours
Managing the Training and Development Function (Training)
Training Institute:
MCE, Bruxelles
Duration:
80 hours

Hobbies

  • Culinary Arts
    Sous Chef level